advice on best place to work and live in us

[dawn swinden]

hi im a single mum with two teenage children and we are looking to move to the u.s. i work as a staff nurse and i am gathering as much information as possible on how to begin and to find out the best places in america to live

[Bevdeforges]

Hi! The US is a big place, and where the "best place" is depends on lots of factors.

As a nurse, you probably won't have too much trouble finding work, though as you're probably aware, the requirements for transfering your qualification vary from state to state. That might be one of the first things you want to look into.

Then you need to ask yourself why you're moving to the US. What exactly are you looking to find? (or escape from?) Would you be better served in a city or a more rural setting? Where have you been before in the US, and what were your impressions of that area?

Almost any part of the US has some things to recommend it, or to warn you away from. With a little more background, we might be able to help you pin down some areas for you.
Cheers,
Bev

[dawn swinden]

hi thanks for the reply. im looking to move as i want a change in lifestyle form me and my children with a lower cost of living and a more challenging career which i believe nursing in the states can offer. we are looking to move to the north east of america and are planning to go over later next year to gather more information in particular boston, new england. i am currently gathering information on the entrance exam which i will need to do.
i do understand that as a single parent it will be costly but with sponsorships available to nurses wishing to emmigrate i believe we will fullfill our dream.

[Bevdeforges]

Boston is a super area for nurses. You should take a look at the Boston Globe (newspaper) online - at boston.com - They run frequent Nursing and Health Care Fairs - where you can find potential employers, hand round your CV and probably even get information about the exams and other resources to qualify, possibly even relocation information.

It would be ideal to time your visit to coincide with one of these job fairs. I'm back in that area a couple times a year, so if you need something in particular, let me know and I'll try to scout it out for you.

[dawn swinden]

thanks alot for your help i will definatly keep you informed on my progress

[synthia]

I presume you have looked into what you have to do to get a license in the US. Things may have changed, but I think nurses trained under the English system must take several courses before they can either take the nursing exams or be granted a license. While the US has some midwives, most pregnancies are managed by obstetricians. Nurses have more training in obstetrics under the US system, and those trained under the English system must make those courses up. I think there are some psych courses that are also required.

Also, I'm not sure about terms. Are you plannin to work as an RN (Registered Nurse), or a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)? I may have the terms wrong here, but are you a nurse or a sister? Do you still use those terms? I was in the hospital in Malaysia recently. They use the English system, and the staff nurse seemed to be equivalent to an RN, as much as I could tell.